6 ms·
I had six apps on Google Playstore several years back. They were free, no adverts or in-app tricks... Google removed them, since I didnt keep creating new vers
by Russelfuture 5y ago
I had six apps on Google Playstore several years back. They were free, no adverts or in-app tricks... Google removed them, since I didnt keep creating new versions. Oh well. But the API churn has become explicit neo-monoploy strategy. Google and Apple should be broken up. Two companies control all mobile software distribution - and restrict and block independent developers using all the classic tricks of monopolists. It's just nuts. No other industry is this concentrated. There is no innovation happening here. 15% smaller size? So what. This whole exercise is to maintain and extend control. Regardless of where one sits on the political spectrum, this is just "company store" monopolist tricksterism, and the solution is to dust off the old Anti-Trust laws and break this abusive entity into three or four seperate companies. "Trust Busting" is something both the Right and the Left can agree on. Break Google up. If - as a developer - you want to distribute your code as an .APK, then you and your customers should be able to make that choice. This current economic model is not only bogus - it is actually contrary to black-letter US law.
- dontblink 5y agoGenuine question: why not distribute them yourself (e.g. on GitHub)? If more and more developers do this, it will be like pc software. We don't have to accept a storefront (on Android at least).
- PradeetPatel 5y agoIt has been established that distributing APK anywhere else (Github, etc.) other than the Play store would have a drastic impact on the exposure and discoverability of the app, which will lessen user engagement and revenue stream. Disclaimer: I'm not an app developer, but works in PR and marketing.
- grishka 5y agoEstablished by whom? Many people host their apps on Google Play just so they don't subject their users to warnings about "installing apps from unknown sources" and for convenient updating. > user engagement and revenue stream Well, if you're making an app for the sole purpose of making charts go up...
- PradeetPatel 5y agoA sizeable portion of Android users are not technology savvy, the "installing apps from unknown sources" message will deter some of them. >Well, if you're making an app for the sole purpose of making charts go up... Unless the app is a hobby project, most people would put maximizing their potential revenue stream and marketability of their product as a high priority.
- jaimex2 5y agoDepends on your motive. Some people just make useful apps with no motivation beyond that. Discussions about the old Internet made me go back to developing and using the web like its 1999. It's quite liberating. If the tool is good it doesn't need the crap stores to hoist it up. I could care less about the tech unsavy.
- dataflow 5y agoI think you answered the question of "why distribute on the Play store", not the question of "why not distribute on GitHub". Presumably you could do both?
- nextweek2 5y agoWe had an app in the store and a download on our product page. Months in, a new update and Google banned the app forever with no recourse. You can distribute it but not as you. T&C violation. We had to create a new app and remove the download.
- dataflow 5y agoThe heck. Thanks for sharing that. How is that even legal? Do you happen to remember what clause it violates?
- nextweek2 5y agoI had to go look it up, the clause was: Issue: Violation of Malicious Behavior policy With this as the explanation: Potentially malicious external APKs within the App. The App had a link to our website on it's dashboard, our website had a download for all installers (we're cross-platform) and it was the same APK but because of potential for it being malicious, they suspended the app with no recourse. (We did remove the APK download, but couldn't update the App to remove the link to the website) This was in 2018 and we had been in the store for about a year at that point. It was a patch update that triggered it.
- rkagerer 5y agoI would love an alternative Android store that's curated to filter out the 90% of crApps that show up for me these days in the Play store. Along with a checkbox to exclude those with ads, in-app purchases and other such tricks.
- vanderZwan 5y agoThat's a valid insight in general, but I don't see how that is relevant to apps that are free and have "no adverts or in-app tricks".
- stuaxo 5y agoSome free apps don't mind being niche, for others having lots of users is more important. There are benefits to both. API churn seems to kill both, but if you can support your app properly having lots of users will certainly alert you to issues more quickly.
- badpenny 5y agoNot having the APK available anywhere has an even more drastic impact.
- WhyNotHugo 5y agoIt doesn't reach users. On iOS, that's not even an option. On Android, that's hidden behind some scary checkboxes that state they're only for developers. Side-loading apps like this is advertised as "insecure" and "dangerous" so as to discourage people form doing so.
- herbst 5y agoThis is not entirely true anymore. I can whitelist apps to install apps instead of making it on a per app level. So I can simply add stores and only confirm the 'danger' message once
- Andrew_nenakhov 5y agoYou also wouldn't be able to use push notifications, and modern Androids heavily restricts background app running.
- jaimex2 5y agoSame. I just left them as downloadables on XDA forums and personal site. Apple and Google can eat a d#%$
- xvector 5y agoWhy not F-Droid?
- Camillo 5y agoIs there really that much API churn on Android? I have a cruddy old app originally written for API 16 and it still works. It's not on the play store, though.
- Avamander 5y agoTremendous amount if you want your app to work well and properly on newer Android versions.
- ppf 5y agoSo it turns out the original "disruptors", using scorched-earth business techniques, and despite adhering to the mantras of open-source software, have become uncontrollable monsters? It should make you think a little about how things are done in Silicon Valley.
- vcavallo 5y agoWe just need new disruptors. A little tougher now that the current companies have the government on their side.
- Abishek_Muthian 5y agoAfter nearly a decade of mobile development I have stopped developing for Android & iOS as well. Apple had(has?) two years policy for app removal if not updated, I feel that's fair considering quality & security. But Apple did me real good when overnight it moved my arcade type game from Arcade category to some other generic category because it named its game store as 'Arcade'. That was the beginning of the series of events ending with semi-mandatory vaccine apps being available only these platforms (no web) to put bad taste in my mouth. Now I've gone back to web development for my products. The only reason an average app publisher want their app to not be on web is because it cannot steal as much private data(or users can easily protect themselves) .
- herbst 5y agoSame here. I've build web things 10 years ago that still have happy visitors to this day. Every app I built (only 3) was removed within a year. I don't feel crazy enough to waste time in things that can't exist without me permanently touching it for no reason
- Helmut10001 5y agoThere are so many arguments for Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). Independence from FAANG is only one of them.
- actuator 5y agoYes, there are but in iOS even PWAs are at the mercy of Apple as they anti competitively don't allow any competing browser engines.